Ah, poor things, always in the dark! always in the dark! In opening the door of communication, it appeared as if I had also opened all the doors of all the bedchambers in the rectory.

The moment I stepped into the passage, out popped the children from one room after another, like rabbits out of their burrows.
"Where is your mamma ?" I asked.
The rabbits answered by one universal shriek, and popped back again into their burrows.
I went down the stairs to try my luck on the ground floor.

The window on the landing had a view over the front garden.

I looked out, and saw the irrepressible Arab of the family, our small chubby Jicks, wandering in the garden, all by herself; evidently on the watch for her next opportunity of escaping from the house.

This curious little creature cared nothing for the society of the other children.